Machine and method for packaging flat articles such as paperback books or the like

Abstract

Apparatus is provided for packaging of flat articles, such as paperback books or the like, in a base number or multiples thereof, and includes structure for arranging the flat articles in a plurality of stacks and imposing a known pressure on each stack whereby the number within a given dimension is a constant, removing the desired number from the stack while retaining the remainder of the stack in position, enclosing the stacks in a container, adding additional flat articles to make the base number of multiples thereof, and closing the flaps of the container.

I claim: 
     
       1. Apparatus for packaging flat articles, such as books or the like, arranged in one or more adjacent stacks of equal numbers in a shipping container, said apparatus comprising: a. means for placing said articles in side-by-side stacks with the sides of said articles in contact with each other;   b. means for imposing a controlled pressure load on the stacks to compress the articles so that a predetermined number of articles of each stack has a constant dimension;   c. means for removing a predetermined number of articles from said stacks thus constituting removed articles, said means including means for restraining the articles remaining in said stacks;   d. means for enclosing the removed articles in a shipping container having closure flaps thereon;   e. means for selectively adding additional articles to said enclosed removed articles to provide a desired number of articles within said container;   f. means for closing the closure flaps of said shipping container.   
     
     
       2. Apparatus according to claim 1 including conveyor means for removing said flat articles from a feed conveyor wherein said articles are moved thereon while resting along the edges thereof. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said conveyor means moves in step-by-step fashion and is provided with flights for trapping articles therebetween. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein some of the articles are removed from said conveyor means to a bypass conveyor for supplying articles to be added to said enclosed stacks. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein means are provided for removing articles from said conveyor means and placing said articles in stacks wherein said articles rest up on their sides. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the removing means consists of rotating conveyor. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein a rotating conveyor removes articles trapped between said flights and places said articles in stacks wherein said articles rest upon their sides. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein means are provided for removing said stacks from said rotating conveyor. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said removing means is adapted to place said stacks atop previously formed stacks. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the article adding means includes feed devices for feeding rows of articles of a selected number to load said container with a total desired number of articles. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said container is placed over said stacks and means are provided for conveying said container with said stacks therein to position for additional loading by said article adding means. 
     
     
       12. The method of packaging flat articles such as books or the like in a shipping container with a base number of said articles or in multiples of said base number in said container, said articles being stacked in said container in a plurality of side-by-side individual stacks, said method comprising the steps of: a. placing said articles in side-by-side stacks with the sides of said articles in contact with each other;   b. imposing a load of a controlled amount whereby the number of articles within a given dimension of the stack is a constant;   c. removing a constant number of articles from said stacks and restraining the articles remaining in said stacks for subsequent removal;   d. enclosing the removed stacks in a container having a closure flaps thereon;   e. adding articles to said enclosed stacks selectively to provide a desired number of said articles within said container;   f. closing the closure flaps of said container.   
     
     
       13. The method according to claim 12 including the step of moving said flat articles resting along the edges thereof from a feed conveyor. 
     
     
       14. The method according to claim 13 including the step wherein said articles move in step-by-step fashion and are trapped in separate groups. 
     
     
       15. The method according to claim 13 including the step of placing the articles in stacks wherein the articles rest up on their sides. 
     
     
       16. The method according to claim 15 including the step of moving the articles rotatively.